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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26196256">You Left</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/horrorswild/pseuds/horrorswild'>horrorswild</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Law &amp; Order: SVU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:48:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,435</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26196256</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/horrorswild/pseuds/horrorswild</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>barbas back with sonny by his side, olivia isnt happy</p><p>prompt from @cabaretesparza on twitter ty elliot &lt;3</p><p>also ft. he/they sonny!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Olivia Benson/Amanda Rollins, Rafael Barba &amp; Olivia Benson Friendship - Relationship, Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The smell of Manhattan was so familiar to Rafael yet what it smelled of, he couldn't pinpoint exactly. The closest he'd ever gotten was one night drunk at Olivias where they decided that it simply smelled of 'culture'. Whatever that was meant to mean exactly, he wasn't sure.</p><p>Whatever the significant smell was, it hit him like the winning punch at a boxing match as soon as he'd stepped from the train to the platform. His dark hair was now streaked with more than a few lines of silver, the same could be said about his beard, which had grown significantly longer over the year he had been away. The ADA was dressed, not in his regular attire but, in a dark grey sweater and a black polo shirt, paired with jeans of all things.</p><p>Now, anyone that knew Rafael Barba would know that he wouldn't just change for anyone and that staying in a few different states certainly wouldn't do that. </p><p>Stepping from the platform, beside Rafael with a black leather suitcase in hand, was Sonny Carisi. He hadn't changed a bit, of course, having only been staying in New Orleans with Rafael for a few months. They had been dating for a month or two before Rafael had to leave without saying goodbye, and though Sonny had originally been mad, they hadn't stayed that way for very long. Two weeks, in fact.</p><p>~</p><p>Rafael hooked his arm in his partners as they left the train station, the Cuban not speaking and not really listening to his partner talk about how much everyone had missed him. He was just...taking it all in. The people, the buildings, the /smell/.<br/>
"Rafi, are you even listening to me?" came the New York accent beside him and he sighed, shaking his head with an apologetic smile to his partner, to which they nodded.<br/>
"It's just a lot, cariño, y'know? You'll have my undivided attention once I'm less distracted, I promise" he assured them, leaning over and kissing their temple.<br/>
"I know, just don't make a habit of it Barba, huh?" Sonny chuckled softly as they squeezed their partners bicep affectionately.</p><p>Rafael simply gave him /that/ look, eyebrow raised, and mouth tilted into a sort of smirk as if he was trying his hardest not to laugh at his love.</p><p>Once they were outside, Sonny hailed a cab and Rafael put their bags in the boot then they were on their way. Not to a hotel or to the precinct, but to Olivia Bensons' apartment.<br/>
They weren't visiting unannounced, well not really, she believed that Sonny was coming to help with Noah after their holiday, but she knew nothing of Rafael's return. </p><p>~</p><p>They soon arrived at the captains' place, Sonny standing in front of Rafael as he knocked on the door to the apartment.</p><p>Some shuffling around from inside before Olivia opened the door, not noticing Rafael in her haste to speak to Sonny.<br/>
"Noah's in the bedroom, thanks for this Sonny I- " she started as Carisi walked past her, letting her now come face to face with Rafael, his face the picture of guilt as she stopped dead in her tracks, having to lean on the doorframe.<br/>
She hadn't changed apart from a few more lines here and there, he noticed as she stood before him with her mouth hanging open. She swallowed thickly, moving out into the hall silently, closing the door behind her.</p><p>A beat, then she slapped him across the face, pushing him back before he even got a chance to speak. "Fuck you, Rafa, fuck you, fuck you! y-you selfish, self-centered, rude....you left me, why did you leave me?!" her words started off as angry before her voice wavered and she stuttered, throwing herself into his arms as she continued to babble, hitting his back every so often as tears streamed down her face.<br/>
"I missed you too, Liv" he chuckled softly, rocking her gently as he kissed the top of her head.<br/>
"I'm still mad at you, Barba" she retorted, her voice muffled by his sweater.</p><p>They broke away, eyes red and giggling awkwardly. "C'mon, prepare to be bombarded by a not so small child," she said as she ushered him in.<br/>
It didn't take long before Noah rocketed through the lounge and into Barba's arms, shouting "Uncle Rafa you're back!" as he was picked up.<br/>
"I am, I'm sorry I was gone for so long amigo" Rafel chuckled, cuddling Liv's son with a grin plastered across his face, Sonny coming to his side to fuss Noah as well.</p><p>Olivia rose a brow from the kitchen, so obviously that Rafael could almost smell the teasing remark coming, and then it did.<br/>
"So uh..how long has this been going on then hm?" she asked, tilting her head to question the two.<br/>
They looked at each other, mouths pressed shut for a moment before Sonny sighed, speaking up. "A few weeks before Rafi left, it was early days so we didn't feel the need to te-"<br/>
"You didn't tell me?! Rafa, I'm your best friend why didn't you tell me?!"<br/>
"We didn't feel the need to tell anyone Liv, c'mon" he sighed as Liv walked into the lounge, brows furrowed.</p><p>"Promise?"</p><p>"I promise"</p><p>"Hmph, fine"</p><p>~</p><p>She took the now sleeping Noah from Rafael's arms and put him to bed in the other room while the other two sat together.</p><p>"Well, that went well. huh?" Sonny chuckled, nudging Rafael with their elbow.<br/>
"Shut up, Carisi" Rafael responded, grinning.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>second chapter of this lil story ft she/they rollins and xe/xem/xyr fin! 😁😁</p><p>I know this is short again but I have shitty muse lmao</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Rafa, I don't want to bombard you as soon as you've come back...BUT, I have dinner planned with Fin and Rollins and I think they'd really like to see you two. Will you come?" Olivia asked with a tilt of her head as the three sat on the couch, Noah on Rafaels knee, wrapped around him like a little koala bear.</p><p>With a quick look to Sonny to make sure they were okay with it, he nodded, squeezing Liv's arm affectionately." Of course, we'd love to" he assured her, smiling softly.</p><p>~</p><p>They made it out at around 9 pm, once Sonny and Rafael had gone to their hotel and changed. They were the last to get in, of course, because Rafael the perfectionist insisted on fishing out his pink tie that matched his socks.</p><p>"C'mon, we've been way too long already" Sonny whined, pulling his boyfriend into the restaurant, immediately catching sight of their team.</p><p>"Oh, here come the lovebirds!" Rollins chuckled as they came over to the table, Sonny's eyes widening as they saw Liv's smile drop. "Amanda knew? You knew?!" she said, turning to Rollins with an incredulous look on her face, her mouth turning up a little as she tried not to laugh.<br/>"Liv I- I thought you knew. I'm sorry-" Amanda chuckled, scratching the back of their neck nervously as Olivia stared at them with wide eyes.</p><p>"Liv you can't say anything, look at you and Rollins!" Sonny retorted, their accent strong as they pointed at the two.</p><p>"What?! Don't tell me...no" Rafael said, mouth hanging open slightly with a surprised scoff, shaking his head.</p><p>~</p><p>Now it was Amanda and Olivias turn to blush, scratching their heads and chuckling as Olivia slung an arm around Rollins' waist.</p><p>"Oh, oh look who's keeping secrets now? Right, now we're even Miss Benson" Rafael fake-scolded Olivia, shaking his head with a soft chuckle as the group sat down around the table, Fin shaking xyr head with a sigh at xyr friends.</p><p>~</p><p>"Well go on, how longs this been going on?" Rafael asked after they had caught up and got some drinks down them. Rollins leaned into Olivia, before chuckling softly. <br/>"About as long as you and Carisi, maybe a few months less" Liv explained, sipping her vodka tonic and adjusting her black dress. "I really was going to tell you Rafa but you went AWOL and I couldn't reach you" she sighed, glaring at him with a soft smirk though her brown eyes sparkled with happiness. Despite her initial anger, she was ecstatic to have Rafael back in her life. Her best friend.</p><p>"Hey, now we can go on double dates!" Rollins piped up before Rafael could answer, Sonny shaking their head at them. "I'm not sure that would go well do you?" he chuckled, patting Rafaels back with a grin. "He doesn't like sharing the attention" he added, much to Rafaels disdain. </p><p>"I do no- well, maybe I do but shut up!" he retorted with a little pout, brows furrowed as he shook his head in the direction of Liv and Amanda.</p><p>~</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>if you liked it pls leave kudos and maybe comment!</p><p>I loved writing this chapter and I hope you love it too!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>if u liked this pls leave kudos and comment! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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